The 2025 NFL Draft starts in less than a week, and at least one team thinks the heart of this year’s class will be taken in the middle rounds. Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, Ashton Jeanty, and Mason Graham are considered the top prospects and should have productive NFL careers.
However, the middle of the first round could end up littered with players who don’t live up to their pre-draft hype. Every player has warts, but some are uglier than others. Here’s a list of five highly-rated prospects that should scare NFL teams.
Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Stewart’s combine workout was one of the more impressive things to watch in this year’s pre-draft process. Running a 4.59 40-yard dash at 267 pounds is ridiculous, but Stewart is the definition of a workout warrior. In his one year as a starter at Texas A&M, he posted just 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks. If nothing else, he’s consistent, as 1.5 sacks was his yearly total each of his three college seasons.
There’s no denying Stewart’s physical ability. He’s a freak. However, will he magically become a productive player in the NFL? Baltimore’s Odafe Oweh similarly had a low sack total coming out (7.0 overall and 0.0 in his final college season), but had 10.0 last season. Things may click for Stewart, but that’s an expensive price tag for 4.5 college sacks.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
What hasn’t been said about the son of Prime Time? Sanders is the all-time leader in Division 1 completion percentage at 71.8%. He’s one of the toughest college quarterbacks in recent memory, but his limited arm strength and athletic traits make him a hard sell as a first-round quarterback.
His accuracy and leadership are NFL-caliber, but he’ll need an elite offensive line in front of him to succeed. If the right team is built around him and he gets time to develop, Sanders has enough ability to be a “win with” quarterback, but will he end up in the right situation?
Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Walker is another guy that teams are buying the potential on. His stats are legit: 60 tackles and 10.5 sacks in the SEC last year, but 6’1” edge rushers with 32” arms aren’t overly successful in the NFL. His arm somehow gained ⅝ of an inch at his Pro Day, but he’ll have to find the right situation to be productive.
This would be a different conversation if Walker were projected to go in the third round, but an early first-round selection is hard to justify. His athleticism, speed, pass rush ability, and versatility are legit, but how much will his size limit him?
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Golden got hot at the right time in his one year at Texas, with big games in the SEC Championship and CFP Quarterfinal. The reservation is that Golden is a one-year wonder who couldn’t surpass 1,000 yards in 16 games.
He finished with 58 receptions, 987 yards, and nine touchdowns for the Longhorns, and that was by far his most productive college season. He doesn’t project to be an alpha, No. 1 receiver, so taking a complementary WR early in the first round could leave a team wanting more.
Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
Teams will love Taylor’s age and upside, and he isn’t projected to be an early first-round pick, but his size and limited strength should give teams hesitation. Despite being touted as a receiver first, Taylor wasn’t overly productive in any of his three years at LSU. He posted 55 receptions, 546 yards, and just two touchdowns last season.
This kid has Hall of Fame pedigree and should develop into a nice player, but he won’t bring much to the table if teams shut him down as a receiver.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: 5 Prospects Who Scare Me in the 2025 Draft Class
The 2025 NFL Draft starts in less than a week, and at least one team thinks the heart of this year’s class will be taken in the middle rounds. Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, Ashton Jeanty, and Mason Graham are considered the top prospects and should have productive NFL careers.
However, the middle of the first round could end up littered with players who don’t live up to their pre-draft hype. Every player has warts, but some are uglier than others. Here’s a list of five highly-rated prospects that should scare NFL teams.
Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Stewart’s combine workout was one of the more impressive things to watch in this year’s pre-draft process. Running a 4.59 40-yard dash at 267 pounds is ridiculous, but Stewart is the definition of a workout warrior. In his one year as a starter at Texas A&M, he posted just 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks. If nothing else, he’s consistent, as 1.5 sacks was his yearly total each of his three college seasons.
There’s no denying Stewart’s physical ability. He’s a freak. However, will he magically become a productive player in the NFL? Baltimore’s Odafe Oweh similarly had a low sack total coming out (7.0 overall and 0.0 in his final college season), but had 10.0 last season. Things may click for Stewart, but that’s an expensive price tag for 4.5 college sacks.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
What hasn’t been said about the son of Prime Time? Sanders is the all-time leader in Division 1 completion percentage at 71.8%. He’s one of the toughest college quarterbacks in recent memory, but his limited arm strength and athletic traits make him a hard sell as a first-round quarterback.
His accuracy and leadership are NFL-caliber, but he’ll need an elite offensive line in front of him to succeed. If the right team is built around him and he gets time to develop, Sanders has enough ability to be a “win with” quarterback, but will he end up in the right situation?
Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Walker is another guy that teams are buying the potential on. His stats are legit: 60 tackles and 10.5 sacks in the SEC last year, but 6’1” edge rushers with 32” arms aren’t overly successful in the NFL. His arm somehow gained ⅝ of an inch at his Pro Day, but he’ll have to find the right situation to be productive.
This would be a different conversation if Walker were projected to go in the third round, but an early first-round selection is hard to justify. His athleticism, speed, pass rush ability, and versatility are legit, but how much will his size limit him?
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Golden got hot at the right time in his one year at Texas, with big games in the SEC Championship and CFP Quarterfinal. The reservation is that Golden is a one-year wonder who couldn’t surpass 1,000 yards in 16 games.
He finished with 58 receptions, 987 yards, and nine touchdowns for the Longhorns, and that was by far his most productive college season. He doesn’t project to be an alpha, No. 1 receiver, so taking a complementary WR early in the first round could leave a team wanting more.
Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
Teams will love Taylor’s age and upside, and he isn’t projected to be an early first-round pick, but his size and limited strength should give teams hesitation. Despite being touted as a receiver first, Taylor wasn’t overly productive in any of his three years at LSU. He posted 55 receptions, 546 yards, and just two touchdowns last season.
This kid has Hall of Fame pedigree and should develop into a nice player, but he won’t bring much to the table if teams shut him down as a receiver.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: 5 Prospects Who Scare Me in the 2025 Draft Class
